SOTU Winter Trends
Once again winter has encircled us, and along with seasonal depression and ringing in the new year, we got to play with this year’s trending pieces. Personally I always find winter-centric trends much more fascinating than a regular, run of the mill trend. The added element of functionality that is more required in the colder months and the degree to which some people ignore the need for warmth in favor of fashion is endlessly fascinating to me. As someone who hails from a region of the country where the median year-round temperature is roughly 70 degrees, I did not have much previous exposure to true winterwear before moving to New York. Simply speaking, I lost my winter-ginity this year, and got a front row seat to the show titled: fashion school does winterwear. Now, if you will, allow me to walk you through my State of the Union: Winterwear Edition. I’ll walk you through what I saw, how I felt about it, and if I think they have longevity in our wardrobes.
In:
Earmuffs: Love love love love them. Perfect mixture of youthful playfulness and fashion-forward fun. I love the different styles they come in, particularly the aggressively fuzzy ones. A great aide to the snow fair princess persona we all secretly want during these brutal months.
Fleece-lined tights: Figure skaters are on thin ice (hehe) for gatekeeping these for so long. They may be the greatest invention to grace Western civilization since the Prada Loafers. Perfect for my fellow forever-freezing folks.
Fingerless gloves: Unlike their fully-fingered counterparts on the Out list, I would be elated to see the continuation of this trend into the future. Nostalgically twinged nod to the skaters and scene kids that came before us, plus you can still use your phone without wanting to rip your hair out.
Colorful puffer jackets: Don’t say Artizia never did anything for us! Kidding. Obviously brands have been making colorful puffers since the 70s, but one must give snaps to Artizia for their smash hit that is the SuperPuff - which comes in gorgeous colors, which are nice to see when the sun hasn’t been out in twelve years.
Furry hats: Personally, I’ll almost always be a proponent of anything that looks like it would’ve been worn in 20th century Russia. I can’t think of an exact name for these hats but you almost certainly know what I’m talking about - extremely furry, usually with ear flaps of some kind. Perfect for if you ever find yourself bear hunting, or in Bushwick.
Out:
Moon Boots: Currently rewatching the entirety of Shameless US with my roommate and when a character was sporting these in an episode from 2009, I knew that the internet’s monthly favorite boot was not here to stay. Additionally they seem like a nightmare to pair with any type of pant. That being said, I just don’t think the internet’s monthly favorite boot was not here to stay.
Vests: Hottest collab of the winter: Murray Hill x The North Face. I’m not passionately anti-vest, I think if done right they can be a fun moment.
Balaclavas: I am so so sorry, I love a knit/crochet moment as much as the next twenty first century girl, but really, I can’t see one without thinking about the “PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG” scene from that one Spongebob episode. I also think it garners a conversation about cultural appropriation/appreciation that most of its wearers are not ready to have.
Regular gloves: Makes it impossible to use a phone or dig through a wallet for a Metrocard, never keeps the hands warm enough, always ugly.
Acne studios scarf: Poses an interesting question: can plaid ever be just not right? Earnestly speaking, the reason I think these are out might have something to do with the fact that I can’t afford one, but I also think they’re over done, let’s lay them to rest.
